Lye Brook Wilderness
The Lye Brook Wilderness is east of Manchester Center in the southern Green Mountains of Vermont. The Wilderness ranges from 900 feet to 2900 feet above sea level. Most is above 2500 feet, on a high plateau with several ponds and bogs. The western section is extremely steep, facing west-northwest towards U.S. Route 7 and Manchester. Waterfalls and rocky streams may be found here as well as reflecting pools. The Wilderness is named after Lye Brook, which flows through its western half. Approximately 80% of the area is forested with northern hardwoods: birch, beech, and maple. Thickets of small spruce dot the area. Remnants of railroad grades and old logging roads remain.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Vermont |
| Size | 18,122 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 43.11° N, 73.02° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 3 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 133 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Trail/Long Trail ↗ | 105.2 | |
| Lye Brook ↗ | 9.6 | |
| Branch Pond ↗ | 8 | |
| Rootville - Jenks ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Bacon Hollow Snowmo | 4.3 | |
| Lye Brook Falls | 0.5 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireCherry Plain
36 mi from the center point · 251 acres · 99% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.6 miHard, Zera, House ↗Manchester, VT
- 0.7 miLawrence, Amos, House ↗Manchester, VT
- 1.5 miWait Block ↗Manchester, VT
- 1.7 miStratton Mountain Lookout Tower ↗Stratton, VT
- 1.8 miEquinox House ↗Manchester, VT
- 3.2 miWatkins House/Roman Catholic Rectory ↗Arlington, VT
- 4.7 mi
- 5.1 miWilson House ↗East Dorset, VT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Vermont
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Lye Brook Wilderness?
18,122 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Lye Brook Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Lye Brook Wilderness in?
Vermont.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Lye Brook Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Lye Brook Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Lye Brook Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 43.115° N, 73.023° W. Saratoga National Historical Park is 28 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Lye Brook Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Cherry Plain at 36 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Lye Brook Wilderness?
Saratoga National Historical Park (28 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Lye Brook Wilderness?
The National Register has 53 listings within 15 miles, including Hard, Zera, House and Lawrence, Amos, House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.